Moon River: A Harvest Moon Story
by HeyHeyFrey
Summary: Marlin recalls the year he began to fall for Pony, and the many years after that resulted in a wonderful life.
1. When We First Met

"Dad?"

I looked over at Micah who stood on the other side of the gated field. I smiled softly at him.

"Are you okay, Dad?"

I sighed, and looked up at the full moon shining brightly in the clear, night sky. "Yeah. I'm...hanging in there."

Micah hopped over the fence, and stood next to me. "You know, you never told me what it was like meeting Mom."

I looked at him curiously for a moment, then looked back up at the moon. "Would you like to know?"

"I-I would. I hope it's not too soon... to talk about."

I chuckled softly, still staring at the moon. "No, it's alright Micah. I can tell you about it."

* * *

I remember the day I met Pony. Takakura brought her over to Vesta's farm, and I remember thinking how happy she looked to be in Forget-Me-Not Valley. The village had heard a while ago of Terry's daughter taking over his farm shortly after he passed. Takakura seemed pleased as well, though it's hard to tell with him sometime.

"This is Pony. Pony, this is Vesta, her brother Marlin, and Celia. Vesta's vegetables are the best, so I'm sure she can give you pointers on how to take care of your crops." Takakura smiled from the other side of the fence. Pony seemed pleased to meet us. "Hi! It's nice to meet you guys." She smiled, her eyes glistening in the morning sun.

It wasn't long until Pony visited our farm after getting used to her own. Vesta and Celia were out in the fields, and I was in the vegetable shed when suddenly Pony walked in. I was shocked to see her, mostly because I wasn't used to visitors just wandering in the shed. I stopped checking the vegetable quality in the boxes just for a moment as I turned to her. Her pony tail seemed to bob with her as she skipped inside the room, her big, bright eyes smiling as big as her grin. "Oh, hey there Marlin!"

"H-Hi." I managed to stutter out. "Would you like to buy something...?"

"Ah, yes I would! But I also have fresh milk for you. My cow has been giving lots of milk, and I thought why not give some to my farming neighbor!" She smiled as she handed me the bottle.

I was shocked, and started to wonder if there was some sort of catch. "This is...for me?"

"Uh, yes!" She giggled. "Do you like milk?"

I blushed, feeling embarrassed. "Uh...yeah...thanks." I took the milk, trying to pull myself together.

"Don't mention it." She tampered with her pony tail for a little bit. "And I was hoping to buy some turnip seeds as well!"

I blinked, not registering at first what she was saying. Then I hurried over to the corner of the shed and grabbed a couple of seed bags. "Um, how many did you want?"

"Nine should suffice." She decided.

I handed her the bags, and she handed me money in return.

"Thanks Marlin! See you later!" She waved to me as she headed out the door.

I stood there in the shed wondering why on earth would she give me a present? I was too embarrassed to think that maybe she was interested in me. Besides, I had taken an interest in Celia at the time, and didn't realize that perhaps something between me and Pony could blossom.

* * *

"You had a thing for Aunt Celia?!" Micah looked disgusted. "Dad, that's so gross."

I just laughed. "I _thought_ I did, Micah."

He seemed to sigh in relief. "I can't picture you with anyone else except Mom."

I nodded. "Me either."

"But that was a nice story Dad." Micah nodded. "Mom really cared about you."

I smiled, my palms slid into my jean pockets. "I know she did. She cared about you and Penny too. She loved her family."

After a moment of silence, Micah started to head back to the house. "Lemme know if you need anything Dad." And then he walked back to the house with all the other villagers, who came over to mourn for Pony. I took Pony's journal from my back pocket. Her words echoed in my mind.

 _"I do hope you will read this, Marlin. I started jotting down our time together since the year we met. Maybe it's silly or weird, but I do read it from time to time. It makes me happy to remember."_

Taking a deep breath so I wouldn't start crying, I opened the book to the first page. It was dated "Spring, Year One of my Farm." And then I began to read.


	2. Sickness and Strength

I was pretty nervous starting my father's farm again. He was good at what he did, a real talent as Takakura puts it.

I got up that spring morning, and held my arms up high as I sat on my bed, stretching the soreness out of them. "Alright, milk Betsy, plant those turnip seeds, water them…" My mind trailed off when my stomach rumbled. "Oh yeah, probably should eat some breakfast."

I made some egg sandwiches, eating them outside as I also fed Max some breakfast too. He was a cute little dog, with floppy ears that bounced as he would run around the farm. "You're a good boy, Max." I patted his head as he stared up at me.

Then I did the farm work that was needed to be done. Hopefully Betsy's milk can bring enough income in where I can get some chickens in the coop, and so far her milk was doing profitably well.

I let Betsy out of the barn and let her roam around the pasture. It was a nice spring day with the wind blowing freely, cooling off the sweat that formed on my skin from watering the newly planted crops. Takakura had told me a lot about how my dad had the best milk because he cared so much about his cows. "Terry was an excellent rancher; he knew more about cows than his own species." Takakura had told me. I didn't really know my dad too well, unfortunately. I stayed with my mom in the city, but every summer I'd spend a week here to visit him. I loved all the animals he had on his farm, and remembered the fresh vegetables and fruits he'd use for our meals. He was a quiet man, but kind. He really loved what he was doing.

Then when my mom passed away, I figured that I could follow in my dad's footsteps. I was always curious about farming because of my father. I hope I can fill his shoes.

I wandered along the river and bridge and said hello to a few of the villagers along the way. Then, suddenly doubting myself and my dream of running my father's farm, I wandered over to Vesta's.

"You can take a few pointers." Takakura had said. Maybe I'll actually learn a thing or to by just watching. I didn't want to _spy_ necessarily, but I'm sure Vesta wouldn't mind if I just paid close attention to her fields.

When I got there, Marlin was staring at the farm girl, Celia. That shocked me at first, but then it kinda made sense; Celia was gorgeous.

 _Too bad,_ I thought. _He's pretty handsome…_

Then Marlin turned around and realized that I was standing behind him. "Ah!" He jumped a little, but then calmed down and pretended like everything was fine. "Hi there…" He turned to Celia than to me. "I was just…yeah…" And then he ran off into the shed.

Embarrassed, I just turned around and went back to the farm. That was weird. _That was weird._

The next day, I let Betsy out into the pasture again and it wasn't even noon by the time I watered all the crops. I was, yet again, left with my thoughts. And I couldn't stop thinking about Marlin and Celia yesterday.

I guess I didn't understand why _her_ …but at the same time, I had just met them. What did I expect? Maybe they really liked each other, I didn't know...

I decided to walk over there again. I didn't really have a specific reason, but I was bored and well…why not?

I walked into the house, as no one was outside by the fields. Marlin was there, and again he looked surprised. "Oh, hi Pony. Celia's upstairs right now, resting."

"Okay." I looked around the house, and he looked awkward and fidgeted quite a bit. "So, what's your favorite food?"

"My what?"

"You favorite food." I smiled. "I was just curious."

He blinked a few times. "I'm sorry, it's just… no one's really ever asked me that before." He thought it over. "I mean… I guess I'm more of a savory guy. I'm not a huge fan of sweets or baked goods. I like a cold glass of milk, or a beer."

"Oh, good to know you like milk." I smiled. "I hope the milk I gave you the other day was to your liking."

"Oh!" He had replied, as if just remembering something. "Yeah, about that, it was really good. I think your cow is being really well taken care of. You can tell, by the quality of the milk." He nodded.

"I'm glad! That means a lot that you've said that."

He blushed and then kind of looked at his feet for a little bit.

Then Vesta barged in. "Oh, Pony! Nice to see you."

I smiled. "Hello Vesta, good to see you too."

"So…" She seemed puzzled. "What are you guys talking about?"

Marlin sighed. "See ya later, Pony…" And then he walked out of the house.

Vesta just laughed. "Oh, looks like I've embarrassed him a bit." Then she turned to me. "So, how can I help you? You were looking for Marlin, weren't ya?"

I laughed. "Oh, just stopped by to chat really." I shrugged. "Well, I'll see you around. Take care!"

She smiled and said her goodbyes as I left their farm and went back home. I took care of Betsy who seemed healthy and comfortable. I watered the plants again and then got ready for bed. I turned on the news, and the serious looking guy who always wore a size-too-big suit said it was going to rain all day in the valley tomorrow.

I let Max in for the night in case it started to pour early in the morning. He jumped up on the bed and snuggled with me as we laid in the darkness. I looked around the room once my eyes got adjusted and wondered what it was like for my dad to be here, all alone like this. I wondered if he wished I had lived with him, instead of with my mom. At least in the city, your neighbors and friends are all close by. Here, he must've felt pretty lonely.

Max rolled over on his back and sighed near my feet, fast asleep.

I guess he did have Takakura, and they were best buddies. And the people in the village seemed to really like him too, as far as I could tell. It was weird, I really don't remember meeting anyone in the village those summers I would visit except Takakura, but some of them must've lived here for a long time, like Galen and Nina.

Maybe my dad made some lasting friendships, and I just don't recall. Or maybe I just never got to witness them. I found myself hoping my dad lived a good life here, at times feeling guilty I didn't get to see him full time.

And then my mind wandered to Marlin. He seemed so quiet and cold, but something keeps me thinking about him. I didn't know what, but maybe he'll loosen up a little the more we talk. I had hoped so at least.

* * *

I had gotten a reasonable profit off of Betsy's milk, and decided it was time to buy chickens. I ordered a hen and a rooster, and Takakura said they'd arrive sometime around tomorrow.

It's been three days of rain, and therefore three days of not really doing much. The crops were growing well; in fact, they were about done and ready to harvest. "Maybe I should go buy some more seeds…" I murmured under my breath. Betsy was comfortable in the barn and had plenty of food, so I decided to head over to Vesta's farm.

Celia and Vesta were outside wearing raincoats and checking the crops. "Hi there, Pony!" Celia waved. I waved back and went up to her. "How are you today?"

"I'm good." I replied. "How about you?"  
"Doing well, and the crops are too." She smiled her trademark smile that everyone in the village adored. "Are you here to buy something?"

"Oh, yeah, I was hoping to buy some seeds and fertilizer."

"Ah, no problem! Although, you'll have to go in the shed and buy them from Marlin, as Vesta and I had moved everything in there because of the rain."

"Oh, okay, thanks Celia." I replied and then headed over to the shed.

I opened the door and Marlin was relaxing near the table. He smiled softly to me. "Hi, Pony. Did you want to buy something…?"

"Oh, yes please." I grinned and waited patiently as he gathered up my order. "So… why are you hanging out here?"

Marlin seemed sad all of a sudden, and sighed as he set my order down on the table. "Well, a little while ago I became sick."

"Oh…"

"Yeah, and the doctors don't really know what it is necessarily. But they told me to stay indoors in bad weather and get plenty of rest. At least I follow their orders about the weather." He kind of just stared at his shoes and there was a moment of silence. I didn't really know what to say to that, I had no idea that he was ill.

Then, out of nowhere, Celia came in and needed something. She started gathering some seeds, and soon she was starting to carry a lot all at once. "Hey Marlin, do you know where the rest of the potato seeds are?"

"They're over here…" He seemed upset. "Celia, I'll help you carry some of that, you're carrying way too much."

"No, it's fine. Besides, you can't go outside, remember? You'll strain yourself too much." She replied as she struggled to carry more seeds. "You know what, I'm gonna go see exactly how many seeds Vesta needs. I'll be back." And Celia set down the seeds in the corner and ran out again.

I looked over at Marlin and the look on his face broke my heart. "Hey, don't be so hard on yourself." I insisted.

He thought for a moment then nodded. "You're right, for the sake of my health, I've got to take it easy. In the meantime, I'll do the best I can. That way, I'll restore my health a lot quicker." It was almost too small to notice, but he grinned. "Thanks for saying that."

Celia walked in and laughed. "Turns out we only needed one bag of seeds, so I didn't really need help anyway, Marlin."

Marlin laughed at her. "Of course. Well, it worked out I guess."

Celia nodded and then walked out again.

I said goodbye to Marlin and headed back to the farm.


	3. Drunk and Blossoming Feelings

Betsy was pregnant, I had just found out that day. Summer was already here, and Takakura said by the time the calf comes, fall will be here, and fall is a great time for milk production.

Chu and Chii, my rooster and hen, are also doing well. Chii produced a fertilized egg, so now I'm waiting for a new little chick to arrive on the farm.

After work, I had decided to head to town to the bar. Muffy had asked me to go tonight, as the past week I haven't really left the farm.

"You can't work all the time, you know." Muffy had insisted earlier that day. "The first drink will be on me! Besides, you should get to know more of the villagers here. Everyone is really friendly."

So, I decided to take her up on that offer. I walked into the bar and Kasey and Patrick were already very drunk.

"Boys, it's only 9:30…" Gustafa laughed, who was sitting next to them with a drink in his hand. Then I noticed Marlin, who seemed comfortable sitting at the far end of the bar. He noticed me too, and gave a soft smile.

"And then I told him to knock it off, and hit him square in the chin! Boy was he mad, I ran out of there like crazy! Never ran so fast in my life!" Kasey laughed, and Patrick laughed too in a frenzy. I had no idea what they were talking about, but at least they were having a good time.

"Alright, I think it's about time you two head off home." Muffy giggle.

"I'll help them back," Gustafa insisted. "I'm about ready to head out anyway."

"That's awfully nice of you, Gustafa. Appreciate it." Griffin replied while he cleaned off some beer mugs.

I let the two twins past me and Gustafa nodded to me in greeting as they walked out the door.

"Pony, why don't you sit here, drink's on me." Marlin patted the seat next to him.

"Oh, are you sure Marlin?" Muffy asked, trying hard not to smile.

"Yeah, of course."

I thanked him and then sat next to him. "I'll have what he's having." I told Griffin, and then he plopped a tall beer mug in front of me, although the beverage wasn't beer.

I took a sip and a warm, soothing sensation flooded my tastebuds. "Wow, this is really good. What is this, exactly?"

"It's beer tea; not a lot of bars sell it. It's actually pretty good for your health, despite it being alcohol." Marlin sipped his drink, and I hadn't even realized that I had already finished mine. "Do you want another one?" He asked.

"Actually, yeah." I smiled.

"Another one for the lady." Marlin laughed, probably feeling a little buzzed. In all honesty, I really never drank alcohol at such large amounts. I never really liked the taste of it, so I never really became drunk before. I sipped the new drink and I was already feeling a little out of it, but it was so good I kept sipping it.

"I used to go to bars all the time, back when I lived in the city." Marlin admitted as he took another sip. "But the city bars weren't that fun. I kind of hated them, to be honest with you. But Griffin's got a really nice place, and I really enjoy spending my time here. Here, it's clean and you actually know the people you're drinking with. It's a real treasure."

I smiled at Marlin, trying to imagine him living in the city. I was never really keen to the city life either, so it made me happy to think Marlin liked it here. Then, my eyes became really droopy, and all I could hear was Griffin mumbling something about his appreciation.

I slowly opened my eyes again and the stars were moving above me but I was not. I was still really out of it, and my eyes closed again. Then when I opened them later, I realized I was being carried, and that I was in my house.

"Hi Max, just dropping her off. No worries." Marlin's voice was so quiet I almost wondered if I even heard him. "She's actually pretty light…"

I closed my eyes again as I felt like I had no energy to keep them open. I felt my body slide gently onto my bed. And then I heard my door open and close.

* * *

I woke up the next day with a pounding headache. Max had licked my face and began barking at me impatiently. I groggily sat up in my bed and realized it was well after 10:00 a.m. I got up as fast as I could, which made the headache worse, but forced myself to keep rushing. I let Max out and he ran to a grassy patch of the property and peed as soon as he got there. "Sorry Max…" I mumbled under my breath. I ran to the barn and Betsy seemed okay, but seemed impatient. I hurried and put some fodder in her food tray, and she ate it up fast. I brushed her and patted her on the back. "Sorry, girl. I hope you're feeling okay."

Then I watered the crops. Thankfully, they weren't in bad shape, just a little dry. After I watered them, they seemed perky and healthy again. I sighed, and let out Betsy into the pasture. And then I noticed I had a visitor, waiting at the other side of the pasture.

"H-Hi, Pony."

It was Marlin. My heart fluttered a bit when I some him standing there. I jogged over to him.

"I just came to stop by to drop off your bag. You forgot it at the bar last night."

I chuckled nervously. "Oh wow, that's embarrassing. But thanks for bringing it to me. And bringing me back home last night too. I hope I wasn't too much of a burden."

His cheeks reddened and his face turned away from me fast. "Oh, it was no problem. Really."

I smiled. He looked really cute all embarrassed like that. "Well, still, I really appreciate it. I'll make you a nice meal or something as thanks."

"Oh that's not necessary, really." He looked down at his feet as one of them kicked the dirt. "Hey, Pony…"

"Yeah?"

He looked as if he was going to say something else, but instead replied differently. "N-Never mind…I'll see you around. Take care." And then he turned around and left. I was left there wishing he had said more.


	4. Fallen Leaves and Jealousy

Betsy had given birth to a young female calf; I named her Maybelle. She was a sweetheart and submissive, unlike her mother who was charming and determined. Takakura helped me set up the calf hut and Maybelle was to stay there for a couple of weeks. I let Betsy out into the pasture most days so they could stay by each other.

Takakura had also gotten me a horse. It was surprise gift. "Your father had a horse like this. A fine one, too. Fast but restless. Any names?"

"I think…Dixxe."

"Dixxe?" He looked at the horse and patted her back. "It's got a nice ring to it. Take good care of her."

And that I did. I rode Dixxe all around town, which she loved. I had read one of my father's old books in the house. In them were tips on how to take care of any farm animal, and the one on horses talked about how they appreciate getting as much ride time as possible. In the mornings, after I've fed the cows and Dixxe, and after I've watered the plants, I would ride Dixxe around the entire village. And in the evenings, right before the Sun would begin to set, I would ride her again.

One fall evening I happened stop Dixxe as I saw Celia and Marlin talking by the river side. My heart was racing and I felt my face get warm and my stomach turn. I didn't really know what to think of what I was seeing.

Celia noticed me after a moment and smiled, calling me over to where they were.

I took a deep breath and jumped off of Dixxe, who began eating some grass near the river side. I walked over to them, and I realized Marlin was blushing.

Celia smiled, and then coughed. "Oh dear…I feel a little under the weather."

Marlin and I both turned to her. "Are you okay?" I asked.

"Oh, yes I'm fine! I just need some rest. I'll just be on my way…" Celia turned from Marlin and smiled at me, winked, and then started walking back towards Vesta's farm. Celia was so pretty yet so clueless; little did she know how Marlin felt about her. Here, she thought she was doing me a favor, but she was so naïve. I wish I could be her.

At least, I had thought Marlin felt feelings towards her. I guess he never really admitted it to me.

"Are you alright?" He asked out of the blue, which caught me by surprise. I jumped a little, having been lost in my thoughts. "Don't tell me you're feeling ill too." He laughed.

I laughed nervously. "Oh, no, I'm feeling fine."

After a moment or so of silence, he finally spoke. "I'm…not used to talking to people a lot. But since I've started talking with you, it's not that bad."

My heart started beating fast, and I began to fight myself. Did he have feelings for Celia? Or, maybe, could he possibly have feelings for me?

"I hope you like Forget-Me-Not; sure, it's quiet, but it's a nice place with nice people."

"I do, a lot. I'm adjusting to the farm life pretty well too." I smiled, playing with my hands nervously. I had never really done that before, but all of a sudden it was all I could do.

"That's good to hear. I'm glad you like it here." He looked out toward the river for a moment, and then back at me. "When I first arrived here, I was pretty nervous. I felt like a fish out of water…"

Then, as if on cue, a fish flew out of the river and splashed us gently when it came back down. Marlin and I kneeled down fast by the river side to see if the little guy was still there.

"That was crazy. Probably a hard guy to catch… do you fish?" He asked. Then I turned to face him and realized how close our faces were to each other.

Before I could reply he stood up quickly, his face red, and mumbling something about how he had to get back home for dinner. Then he walked away quickly.

I sighed, feeling a little gloomy about the whole thing. I walked back to Dixxe and we rode back home.

 _How could I ever compete with Celia?_


	5. Snow Storms and Winter Stars

Maybelle and Betsy were put back into the barn when snow began to fall. I had to really encourage Dixxe to go in; she was a stubborn one.

It was the first snow fall of the year, and the first one is always beautiful to watch. So I watched it for a little bit before I got back to work.

I had checked on the chickens. The baby chick, Choo, was doing well. Chii was still laying eggs, and her and Chu had produced another fertilized egg. I put the egg in the incubator, excited that the chicken coop was growing so fast. Takakura talked about maybe building a duck pond in the spring, and hopefully some ducks will come by.

I had walked into the shed to put away some tools when I noticed something odd on the shelf. I picked it up and it was a… blue feather?

I didn't really know why this was here, so I decided to ask Takakura if he was the one who put it there, and why. But when I brought it to him, he looked as shocked as I did. "That's a blue feather, those are really rare to find now a days." He replied, examining the tiny, soft feather. "There's a legend behind the feather; if you give the feather to the one you love, you'll spend the rest of your life with them."

"Really?" I asked, examining the feather when he handed it back to me.

"Well, the man has to accept it too, of course. But yeah, it's used for proposals. You're lucky you found one, as those cost a fortune in the city."

As I walked back to my cabin, I wondered how it got on my shelf in the first place. Who could have put it there if it wasn't Takakura?

I walked into the house and set the blue feather down and decided to watch some television as I put dinner on the table. I sat down on the floor and Max sat down next to me, resting his head on my lap. I watched some drama series about this girl who met this cute guy at school, and then he wanted to join his band. I had noticed eventually that the falling snow outside had become a blizzard, and the wind blew so hard it shook the cabin on occasion. After a finished dinner and a couple of episodes later, I was ready to go to bed. But then I heard a couple of knocks on my door. I wasn't sure if it was the sound of the storm outside playing tricks on me, but I decided to open the door and see what was wrong.

I found Vesta and Celia standing there in the blizzard. I opened the door for them so they could come in, which they did quickly. "Have you seen Marlin recently?" Vesta asked worringly.

I shook my head. "No, I haven't. Is something the matter?"

Celia and Vesta gave each other a worried look. "I had gotten into a little bit of an argument with Marlin earlier," Vesta explained. "I was going to head out into the snow storm to deliver an order to Griffin at the Bar. But Marlin wanted to do it instead, even though I told him he shouldn't because of his health. He was pretty mad about the whole thing, and insisted he was in good health. When I got back after I delivered the goods, Celia had said he ran out no too long after I left. We had been looking for him since, and we had hoped he'd be here...We're worried he's going to get even more sick."

"I'll help look for him!" I insisted, and started putting on my winter coat that I had taken out of storage the day before. Max had woken up from his sleep and seemed hyper with all the commotion. "Sit Max!" I didn't want Max going out into a storm like this; he was still just a puppy.

"Alright, Celia, you go back home and see if maybe Marlin returned. I'll go towards the Villa and see if anyone's seen him wander over there. Pony, you go to the pond, that way we can cover as much ground as possible." Vesta ordered. Celia and I nodded, and out we went into the storm.

It was cold and hard to see too. I tried to move as fast as I could against the wind as I headed toward the forest. Eventually, when I got closer to the pond, the trees and mountain helped block a lot of the wind and snow. There Marlin was, staring at the pond all by himself.

"Marlin!" I called, and ran over to where he was. He looked pale, but otherwise he seemed okay.

"Pony? What are you doing here?" He asked, genuinely confused.

"I came to look for you." I replied, grabbing the blanket from my bag that Vesta had given me and wrapped it around Marlin. "Vesta told me what happened. We were all worried about you."

"You were worried about me?" He asked, genuinely curious.

"Of course." I nodded. "Why would you run out in this weather without a coat?"

He sighed and turned away from me. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Yeah, of course." I replied.

"I've tried to follow the doctor's orders, but my health is not what it used to be, no matter what I do. And then you come to the valley, and you work so energetically and you're so determined… I get so frustrated. I feel like I'll never get back to a healthy state." He was quiet for a moment. "Do you think I'll ever get healthy again?"

"Absolutely."

He turned to me, and then after a moment smiled. "Well, now I feel pretty foolish for causing everyone such a fuss. I think you're right, seeing your smile gives me hope that maybe I'll regain my health back."

I blushed, and wondered how my smile could do that to him.

He began to cough, and I started to pull him gently. "Come on, we should get back. This storm is gonna get us both sick."

He agreed hesitantly and we walked back to Vesta's farm. When we got there, Vesta and Celia were waiting in the kitchen, looking relieved to see us walk in. "Marlin, thank goodness you're okay."

"I'm fine. Pony solved the situation." Marlin insisted.

"Thank goodness we asked for your help, Pony. This guy would've been too stubborn to come back if either of us had found him!" Celia giggled.

Vesta made some hot soup for us. Marlin ate his fast and then went to bad, exhausted.

After I finished my soup, I thanked Vesta and said goodbye to the family. When I left, the storm had calmed down, and I walked home in the delicate snowfall.

* * *

A couple of days later I got a knock on my door. It was noon, so I was taking a break from farm work and eating some lunch. I opened the door and was surprised to see Marlin there. His cheeks were pink, and he looked down at his feet before he smiled nervously at me. "Hi, Pony."

"Hi, Marlin." I smiled. "What brings you here?"

"Well…" He gulped, looking around in a frenzy. "Well, tomorrow's the Starry Night Festival."

"Oh? I forgot about that." I laughed. "I guess I've been very busy with work."

"Oh! Well…" He smiled nervously. "Maybe, since you probably didn't make any plans yet, would you…like to spend it at our farm?"

I blinked. "You mean, you want me to come over to your house for the festival?"

"Uh, yes." He nodded. "Would you like to spend the festival with me?"

My face felt red with delight.

"A-And Celia and Vesta, of course." He added frantically.

"Sure! I think that would be really nice." I smiled. "I can't wait."

"Me either." He smiled, seeming relieved. "Well, I'll let you get back to work. See you tomorrow." He said, and then walked away.

* * *

It was the day of the Starry Night Festival, and after I had gotten the cattle and the chickens taken care of, I headed over to Vesta's Farm. It was a beautiful, starry night, which seemed appropriate for the occasion.

I knocked on the door and Marlin had opened it. "Hey." He smiled and then welcomed me in. Celia was setting the table and Vesta seemed to be adding a few last touches to the almost ready dishes. "You made perfect timing, we're almost ready to eat."

"Hi Pony! Glad you could make it!" Celia smiled.

"I hope you like sweet potato stew and grilled fish, Pony! We made a ton of it, all with our fresh vegetables." Vesta called happily from the kitchen. Marlin had dragged a seat out for me and then helped Vesta bring the meal to the table. Celia and Vesta talked a lot about what it was first like when they all arrived in Forget-Me-Not Valley for the first time as we ate our meal. Marlin talked about meeting other people who already lived here and meeting people who came here after the three of them did.

Vesta also made a chocolate cake for desert, which was as delicious as the dinner she had made. "You're an excellent cook, Vesta!" I smiled. "The food was really good."

"I'm glad you liked it, Pony." Vesta grinned, pleased with the compliment.

Celia began to yawn, and announced that she was going to go to bed.

"That's a good idea, it is pretty late." Vesta agreed, and began clearing off the table. After refusing to let me help her, I decided that I should probably head home too.

"I'll walk you back." Marlin insisted. "It's pretty late after all."

Vesta gave me a sly smile, and then said goodbye and went back to cleaning dishes.

Marlin and I walked slowly back to my farm, and he talked about his family life as we made our way. The night sky was really beautiful, and I couldn't help thinking about how romantic this all was.

I had told him a little about my dad.

"Your dad was a nice guy, it's clear that you two are related in that aspect." Marlin smiled. "I had only known him for a couple of years before he passed away, but I remember how he used to talk about his daughter back in the city. He seemed really proud of you."

"Really?" I had never known Marlin and my dad talked, let alone that my dad mentioned me to Marlin. It was weird to think about.

We eventually got back to the house and he lingered there for a little. "Well, goodnight." I smiled, but before I went inside, Marlin stopped me.

"Pony…"

I waited and stared up at him, waiting for him to say something.

"Do you mind…if…" He seemed nervous, and then he leaned forward and kissed my forehead. I was taken aback, but in the best way. He seemed embarrassed. "Uh…G-Goodnight." He murmured, and then headed back to Vesta's farm.

I went back inside the cabin and Max followed me inside, jumping on the bed ready to go to sleep. I looked at the blue feather and remembered what Takakura said about it.

And I knew who I wanted to give it to.


End file.
